|
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Okay... Real Quick.
I am cleaning-up my Project Viper.
It do have some wear and rough spots along the edge of my fretboard.
I don't know what I am gonna do about that, but while I have the strings off (replacing tuners)...
Is there anything that I should be doing to my fretboard?
(I have some Old English Lemon Crap that works well on my furniture and ebony fretboards)
BTW- I got black Wilkinson (generic) tuners... Now I am wishing that I got chrome.
I am going back to taking this apart...
Hopefully someone will have some helpful advice by the time I put it back together. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I use Dunlop all-purpose cleaner, although I also have a bottle of something that is specifically made just for fretboards, but don't remember its name. I'll check it tonight. If the frets are stained, rough and/or generally look tarnished, this may be the time to polish them. I like shiny frets, but don't care about wear on the board itself. That's called mojo. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | What is in Dunlop cleaner?
I might has basically the same stuff under my sink.
And, you realize this is Blonde wood, right?
I just wanna make sure that it don't crack or anything like that...
I have seen some pretty ugly fretboards on Fender Strats.
(as opposed to generic Strats :rolleyes: ) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | It's my understanding that Maple fretboards get a durable finish...NOT oil like darker wood. If the old finish is worn off, a new finish is needed. Oil and exposure to our bare skin makes the maple dirty. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | What bauerhillboy said |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Just checked the bandroom . . . found several bottles of the regular Dunlop 65 cleaner/polish (orange lable) as well as a bottle of this . . .
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | You have heard of the term "spit and polish"
Dan Erlewine reckons saliva is as good a cleaner as anything.
I generally use plain water and a soft toothbrush to clean the fretboard.
I made the mistake early on of using a spray on universal kitchen type cleaner.
Removed the grime but marked the surface something awful.
For Ebony/Rosewood I have some type of fretboard "conditioner" that I bought from my luthier.
Apply after it dries, wipe off the excess, seems to work just fine.
I have a gadget that I bought from an electronics supply store, designed to clean electrical contacts etc, that works a treat for cleaning the frets.
It's like a pen with a bunch of fine glass fibres about 1/8" or so in diameter.
You can adjust the length of the fibres from the body which makes it stiff or more flexible depending on what you are cleaning.
AJ |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Thanx for the input. Especially Bauerhillboy's comment about the "Durable finish"...
Since it has a good finish I just used the Old English table-top cleaner on it.
The finish is in good shape except for a chip on the eleventh fret.
Well, I put it back together... The neck didn't snap and the electronics didn't blow-up...
I musta done something right! :D
Oh! And I found some black tone and volume knobbies too. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | Hey that looks familiar!! :eek:
AJ |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Naw AJ... Yours is on the right...
No "Viper" on pick-gaurd. :cool: (more original parts too) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | this is how I deep clean a maple fret board ...
1)toothbrush and wd-40 for the frets
2)Wipe with naphtha
3)clean with dunlop 65 polish/cleaner
for a light cleaning just use the dunlop 65 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | Do not use oil on a finished maple neck. The oil has no place to go but under the frets and into the wood, possibly loosening the frets... according to the guitar tech I use. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 121
Location: Maine | OK, this looks like a good place to ask the question; What is a "soft" fret? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Very low profile fretst are sometimes called "soft frets". It has nothing to do with hardness, but rather the "feel" of the frets. Not very common on acoustic guitars. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 121
Location: Maine | Very low profile fretst are sometimes called "soft frets".
Many thanks for the answer, Gallerinski. My education never ends, and there are some great teachers on this board.
Now, if only someone could explain how I take someone else's quote (like I did with yours above) and make it BOLD. I've tried following the instructions on the UBB Code, but it didn't work!! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Wagonmaster:
Now, if only someone could explain how I take someone else's quote (like I did with yours above) and make it BOLD. Click the " " option. Then edit/delete the text twix the first (QUOTE)(QB) and the last (/QUOTE). Note I used parentheses in lieu of the brackets.
Oh yeah, don't forget to 'Preview Post' for format. 
Hope this helps ya... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | To reply and include the quote, just go to the post you want to quote and press the little " " icon. It will automatically put the persons name a text that you are quoting as well as put it in bold face. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 121
Location: Maine | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
To reply and include the quote, just go to the post you want to quote and press the little " " icon. It will automatically put the persons name a text that you are quoting as well as put it in bold face. Got it! and again to you guys for the lesson. I am very sorry for what appears to be a hijacking of this thread. I will now shut up until I find pretext on some other thread to slip in more questions!! |
|
| |
Care & Feeding of MAPLE FRETBOARDS?
